Navigon brings MobileNavigator to iPhone's App Store, we go hands-on
By Darren Murph 
posted July 22nd 2009 2:06PM
posted July 22nd 2009 2:06PM
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While the program definitely takes up a good chunk of your internal storage, the onboard approach is highly preferable in our eyes. Maps don't have to load over the air, and there's no recurring charge to grate your nerves. As with Navigon's standalone units, this app includes Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Day & Night Mode. As expected, users can establish a Home address, setup favorite addresses, access nearby POIs and get from point A to point B via voice guided, turn-by-turn directions. The app also takes full advantage of the iPhone' accelerometer, switching from horizontal to vertical mode as soon as you flip the phone. There's even support for multitouch zooming, and while it'll typically run iPhone OS 3.0 users $99.99, Navigon is offering it up for just $69.99 until August 15th.
We managed to snag a copy of the software this morning, and by and large, we're impressed. One beef we had right away, however, was the apparent lack of real-time traffic updates, particularly since it's available gratis on its dedicated PNDs. Our iPhone 3G did take an annoyingly long time (a few seconds -- we're just hard to please) to recognize inputs when searching for states, cities and street numbers, but once it chugged through that grueling process, everything else sped along just fine. The POI menu was dead simple to navigate, and the switching from horizontal to vertical mode was as quick as we've seen in any app -- even compared to those that Apple includes on the phone. The lady telling us where to turn was loud and easy to understand, and the fantastic routing options let us avoid tolls / ferries and even interject a few stops along the way. We'd still recommend carrying around a car charger for your phone if you really plan on using this as a dedicated navigator (it drains the battery fairly quickly), and just remember -- without support for background apps, every phone call you receive will take your nav offline (seriously, we tried it, and any incoming call exits you from your route). Thanks, Apple.
I've been using Navigon for a month now in Europe - I drove through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany without problems.
Yes, a phonecall will terminate the Navigon program but it will continue automatically after the phonecall is finished. Alternatively, you can push the phonecall to the background by starting Navigon).
The way I work with my Navigon is: start the iPod function on my iPhone, then start Navigon. I have a Parrot MKI 9000 installed in my car which works nicely with all iPhone functions, including the navigation. Only problem I have is if I don't play audio from the iPhone, then it takes about a second to open the bluetooth connection, resulting in weird instructions: instead of "In 50 meters, turn left" I'll only hear "..urn left". I'm afraid this has to do with the bluetooth connection, Apple and/or Parrot. Don't think TomTom will be able to improve this.
Anyway, while driving hairpins in the mountains, I lost GPS locations frequently although Navigon picked them up rather quickly, only to be lost seconds later. An external GPS cradle is on my wish list, Navigon already announced they'll have one soon - the approach sounds similar to the TomTom approach.
Anyway, I have been using Route66 on my windows mobile phone. I liked that one a lot. Then I've been using TomTom on my Nokia N95. I preferred Route66 but TT was ok but I ended up in a fight with the sales / marketing department of TomTom as they decided to deny everyone in the Netherlands access to ordinary traffic updates in favor of their HD Traffic solution - which was just not available for my Nokia phone or any other mobile phone. So TomTom arrogantly decided people had to do without traffic updates for over a year. That's a marketing manager decision who just doesn't have a clue. The technicians at TT were with me but couldn't do anything - they even tried to help me get the ordinary traffic updates on my mobile phone again by ordering via other countries but well, marketing won and TT lost a customer forever.
So, now I'm with Navigon. I do like the lane assist option. But a bit more information on the screen would be nice. And I'm really waiting for the promised traffic updates - via the internet (or will the cradle support TMC - that would be awesome).
Last $0.02: battery drain: when I drove back from the Black Forests, my phone suddenly warned me the battery was almost empty. What? The carcharger was connected all the way. Hopefully that cradle fixes this as well. But in all: I'm very satisfied with Navigon on my iPhone 3G. It works well, it takes me wherever I need to go.
I love reading comments from iPhone haters because it further justifies my purchase of my iPhone 3G. It is interesting how virtually every new phone that comes out compares itself to the iPhone. From what I've read about the PRE (dumb name), it has had some issues with the hardware (not like PALM of the past). I also understand it can be used as a cheese slicer. Kidding aside, the iPhone has not garnered its popularity because of a lackluster UI or poor performance. Its a fantastic phone. If there was a phone out there that was better and did not use WINDOZE, I'd get it. So far there isn't. Now as to Navigon. I will wait patiently until Tom Tom comes out with their unit. I am not going to buy a piece of software that is outdated and the maker or the software has pulled out of the US market. What does that tell you. I got ATT Navigator for two months free and it works fine though it is very basis. I have a built in GPS in my car, I have a NUVI and a Tom Tom. I like the idea of a GPS built into my phone so I don't have to carry too many gadgets. Flame me all ya want. I tell it like it is.
I own 2 Navigon GPS units, a 2100 and now a 2200T, I love the way they work, I paid $69 for the 2100 last year for a refurbished unit, and I just bought the 2200T from New Egg for $89 and I'll give it to my daughter. I love the Navigon software, the Text to speech function is great, this is the one function that is NOT in the iphone software, people say it's supposed to be coming in a future update, but I haven't read anything in the itunes store description promising text to speech.
Without text to speech, I personally don't think the app is worth the $69.99.